


oath

by WickedSong



Series: the sorceress and knight [5]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 11:15:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18737908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedSong/pseuds/WickedSong
Summary: Leon shuffled closer to her, their hands still interlocked. She was holding on tightly, and Leon knew he wouldn’t let go until she did too.“We’ll figure it out,” he said, quietly, and she let out a sound that sounded somewhere between a laugh and a sob.“Squall Leonhart; an optimist? Who knew?”And despite himself, or their situation, Leon let out a small chuckle too.





	oath

**Author's Note:**

> -Two uploads in a _week?_ *Jean Valjean voice* WHO AM I?
> 
> -In all seriousness, this was one of those cases where my brain was working faster than my hands. As I said to my fam, at the time of writing, I was 'in the zone'. Maybe that means it'll be terrible, but I hope not. And again, I don't really mind if it is; I'm just enjoying writing my indulgent Squinoa in KH fic because it's what they DESERVE.
> 
> -Hope you all enjoy tho, and let me know what you think if you feels like it! :)

Leon found Rinoa in the cavern underneath Merlin's hut; the place the wizard had assured Leon he could train, and the same place Leon and Rinoa had come to slowly call their own. Rinoa sat at the water’s edge, her knees to her chest, looking as though she was quietly staring at her reflection. Still, Leon knew she’d have heard him coming. No matter what, she always just _knew_.

“Was anyone hurt?” Rinoa managed to ask, without looking back at him. Instead she held out her hands, studying them as if _they_ held the answers she’d been looking for. Leon, knowing that her mind was likely to be running a million miles an hour, sat beside her, and grasped her hands.

He was silent, and unsure of what to say to make any of this better, either. He didn’t have the answers, though, for her sake, he desperately wished he did.

But that was a foolish wish. Those answers would be impossible to find; they’d died with Edea. Even with Merlin’s knowledge of a Sorceress and her powers, there were some things even he conceded that only Edea would've known.

In the silence, Leon felt Rinoa let go of his hands, as she brought her chin to her knees, curling up as tightly as she could. It was almost as though she was afraid that if she were to do anything else she might unleash something much worse.

It was strange, Leon thought, for her to draw away from him. Suddenly, he thought he might understand how he’d hurt her in the past with his distant nature. But he couldn’t blame her for this; he couldn’t imagine how terrified she was.

If it was even a fraction of how worried he was for her, then he ached all the more.

“No,” Leon finally replied, as reassuringly as he could. “And no one’s angry, either. It was an-“

“I could’ve _killed_ someone, Squall,” Rinoa interrupted, sounding as irritated as she did before. “It doesn’t matter if it was an accident or not.”

She sighed heavily; shaking her head. Her frustration became more and more palatable by the minute. Merlin had told Leon to find Rinoa, and to calm her – whatever that meant – before her powers went awry again.

Leon wondered how he could do that when he understood why she felt the way she did.

Only days ago, everything had been fine; normal and day-to-day. And then, out of the blue, Edea had succumbed to her injuries - that Aerith had sworn were fully healed - and it felt like Hell had broken loose in Traverse Town.

And for no one more than Rinoa, who had apparently, and inadvertently, inherited Edea’s powers. A Sorceress, Merlin had told them later, couldn’t pass on without transferring her powers first. 

But not even Merlin knew the extent of the power Edea had given to Rinoa.

It was Rinoa’s irritation at this fact that had led to the misaimed, and powerful,  _Firaga_ spell that almost burned down the Third District, and could’ve hurt many people in the process.

Thankfully it didn't, Leon thought, because the people of Traverse Town had already distrusted Edea being a Sorceress. Now, the news of Rinoa as Edea’s successor would spread through the town and that would lead to problems he hadn’t begun to think of.

“You’ll learn to control it,” Leon said, quietly. “Merlin said it took time. So did Edea.”

Leon watched as Rinoa stiffened even further at the mention of the Sorceress she had looked to as a friend. Rinoa had told him that, though she hadn’t known Edea long, she’d felt a certain kinship with the Sorceress.

Leon thought he understood _why_ , but didn’t dare to broach the subject now.

“I’m just so mad at her,” Rinoa finally said, almost as though she was ready to burst from the anger. Truthfully, Leon couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her as furious; if he _ever_ had. “For leaving me these powers, for dying, for-“

But Rinoa faltered, like she wasn’t able to find the right words. And, Leon noticed too, the air around them brimming with energy. Quickly, and without a second thought, he grabbed her hands, trying to quell her anger before it did any damage.

Rinoa would never forgive herself if someone was hurt because of her, but Leon always knew she would never willingly hurt someone either.

She looked to be almost in a trance-like state, when she blinked furiously, and finally turned to catch his eyes. She let out a long breath, and now, instead of looking angry, she looked sad. Much more than sadness, Leon corrected mentally, she looked utterly devastated.

“I…I’m sorry, Squall,” she finally said, sounding as though she might start to cry. “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I don’t know how to stop this, or fix this, or make it better. I’m scared.”

Leon shuffled closer to her, their hands still interlocked. She was holding on tightly, and Leon knew he wouldn’t let go until she did too.

“We’ll figure it out,” he said, quietly, and she let out a sound that sounded somewhere between a laugh and a sob.

“Squall Leonhart; an optimist? Who knew?”

And despite himself, or their situation, Leon let out a small chuckle too.

“I’m full of surprises. You know that Rinoa,” he replied, evenly, and this time he was relieved to hear more of a laugh than a cry, in response. “And I _promise_ you; we will figure this out.”

And though she smiled, for the first time in what felt like ages, Leon could still, somehow, feel sadness in the air around them.

* * *

“She is a Sorceress! She must be sealed away, and contained, for the good of the people. Not to mention the things we could _learn_ -”

“You better shut your yap, Hojo, or I’ll show you-“

Leon held his hand up to cut off Cid and whatever he was about to say next to the black-haired, bespectacled scientist. There was no doubt in Leon’s mind that it wasn’t going to be pleasant, and perhaps not all that different from what he might say too.

But as some sort of de-facto leader in Traverse Town, Leon knew he had to stay impartial and listen to Hojo’s plans, no matter how they turned his stomach. They had when the man with the almost-mad eyes had proposed them for Edea, and that feeling was only worse now.

So too had Leon never known Hojo to care about the _‘good of the people’_. There had been a reason he was a recluse in Radiant Garden; Leon and the others thought it was remarkable he’d managed to find his way to Traverse Town, just shortly after them.

“Squall-I mean Leon,” Cid said, quickly correcting himself - probably because he knew he’d receive a glare if he didn’t -, “you can’t seriously be considerin’ this lunatic’s idea, can you? This is _Rinoa_ we’re talkin’ about. Think of all the people she’s helped-“

“Don’t you think I know that, Cid?!” snapped Leon, which caused Cid to stand from his seat, and place his hands on hips; ready, Leon knew, to argue this until he was blue in the face if he had to.

But surely Cid had to understand that Leon felt the same way he did.

“Of course, it would be Rinoa's choice,” he added, though it hurt to even say aloud, “if she wanted it that way.”

Because she was scared. Leon wouldn't tell Cid, but she'd already broached the subject with him.

All Leon _wanted_ to was to keep this place he’d slowly grown to call some sort of second home safe, and the people he cared for free from harm too. One day, he’d be able to find a way to restore his home.

But it hit him, in that moment, that even _that_ would be worth little if Rinoa wasn’t with him.

So, Leon shook his head, in response to the scientist’s plans, steeling himself from the inevitable argument the man would put up in response.

“You remember Odine, don’t you?” Hojo replied, looking past Leon and straight to Cid.

“Yeah, he was as much of a creep as you, if I remember rightly.”

“He was studying the Sorceresses and their powers,” Hojo said, haughtily, and ignoring Cid’s comment about his former research partner. “But his findings were lost with Radiant Garden. He always thought that the information we could gather with one in stasis would be _remarkable_. Just think-“

“Rinoa is a _person_ , before she’s a Sorceress. She’s not a science experiment, Hojo.”

Leon hadn’t even realised how icy his tone was, until a hush settled over the room, and whatever Cid was going to reply was cut silent.

“But you will ask her?” Hojo wondered aloud, his eyes aglow with the possibilities.

It made Leon’s skin crawl, and he gave no answer as he stalked out of the room, all the while sure that there had to be _another way_.

After all, he had made a promise. And it was one he intended to keep.

* * *

“What’s a Sorceress’ Knight?”

Merlin dropped the book he was holding – in a muddle as per usual – when Leon asked the question. Aerith gave him a pointed look from where she was organising another stack of books. But Leon knew she didn’t know the answer either.

Merlin, on the other hand, was about the only source of knowledge they had about Sorceresses; though Leon had toyed with the idea of asking Hojo about it too, in case Odine ever mentioned anything, but in the end, thought it best to keep this discussion to people he could trust.

And nowadays, that included the eccentric old wizard. He _had_ kept Rinoa’s powers a secret. Leon was grateful for that.

“Where did you hear of such a thing, my boy?” Merlin asked, leaving his stack of books to draw closer.

“One of those books,” Leon replied, nodding over to Aerith.

“Surely it’s what it sounds,” Aerith chimed in, lightly. “A Knight is someone who protects, right? Knights who protect Sorceresses?”

But Merlin hummed in a way that told Leon it wasn’t as simple as that.

“Aerith dear,” the wizard said, with a tone that sounded far cheerier than he looked, “I’d like to speak to Leon in private, if you wouldn’t mind.”

And though Leon thought Aerith might protest, she only nodded slightly, and left.

Merlin ushered Squall over to the table in the middle of the room.

“Come,” he said, sounding understanding. “We have a lot to talk about.”

* * *

Back in the secret cavern, a day later, Leon found Rinoa again.

And just like last time, it wasn’t a surprise she was here. He’d started to notice that the townspeople, with the exception of those closest to her, were acting differently around Rinoa. They were treating her with the same mix of reverence and fear that Edea received on the few occasions she’d been out of what eventually became her deathbed.

And so, Rinoa had become accustomed to this place, and Leon, as if he could sense her – but really, he just _knew_ her – found her.

This time, however, she seemed cheerier, than she had been in the last couple of days.

She turned around as he approached, and smiled; a smile that Leon secretly thought was as bright as the stars they watched in the night sky.

“I thought I was going to wait here for you forever,” she teased. “You’re late.”

“I was busy,” Leon replied. “It’s hard to help run a town, you know?”

Which might have been the wrong thing to say, because Rinoa’s face fell immediately. Leon had a feeling he knew why.

“I guess it can’t be easy,” Rinoa said, still looking at him but as downcast as ever. “You know, your girlfriend being a feared Sorceress, and all.”

She sighed, wringing her hands together nervously, before turning to look back at the water. Leon watched as she absently used her hand to sway the water gently.

He took this as his cue to take his spot beside her, though he wasn’t sure what he could say. He wasn’t sure, either, if the information he’d found out from Merlin would make her happy or scared.

“Hojo says that if you want, you can be sealed away,” Leon finally said, looking down at the ground, and not at Rinoa’s face. He’d told her, days ago, that he’d support her, in any way he could, yet still couldn’t fight the part of him that wanted her to say no.

Even so, he knew Rinoa had grown more and more used to the idea as the days had passed.

And who would he be to deny her her choice?

“Maybe that’s for the best,” Rinoa replied, quietly, still playing with the water. “At least until we can find some other way to get a handle of my powers. You know, Edea was considering it too, before she-“

“I know,” Leon said, and then he took a deep breath. “But there’s another way, at least I _think_.”

It certainly wasn’t a fool-proof plan. It was a risk too, but one that Leon thought was worth taking. He’d known, a long time ago, that he would take those chances for the woman beside him.

Though he’d never quite been able to articulate it, he just hoped she understood that too.

Rinoa perked up her head, at the sound of that.

“Really? What other way?” She sighed. “Squall, we both know I can’t control these powers. I can continue training with Merlin, sure, but one day-“

“I’ll be your Knight.”

“A what?” questioned Rinoa, her forehead crinkling in confusion. 

“A Knight,” replied Leon, feeling all the more foolish for even saying it in the first place.

He knew it sounded like some sort of fairytale, reminiscent of the bedtime stories of princesses and dragons and knights that his mother would read to him and Elle in their childhood.

Rinoa still looked confused, though he saw the faintest glimmer of hope shine in her eyes. It was that hope that encouraged him.

“I read about it, in that book about the Sorceresses that Merlin gave you,” Leon replied. “It really said nothing about them; just what they’re called, but Merlin _knew_.”

“Surely a Knight is just someone who protects a Sorceress?” Rinoa said, leaning closer and placing a hand over Leon’s. “And you’ve always protected me, Squall. But even that might not be enough anymore.“

“It’s more than protecting you from monsters,” Leon explained, grasping her hand tighter in his. As uncomfortable as he felt about baring his soul, he pressed on. “A Knight is someone who’ll give a Sorceress peace of mind; a safe place. With a Knight by her side, a Sorceress is less likely to be corrupted by her powers. Merlin said Edea told him about her Knight; her husband.”

Rinoa looked more confused than ever, and sent Leon a smile that looked somewhere between concerned and teasing.

“Are you asking me to marry you, Squall?“

Leon felt the tip of his ears go red, despite the seriousness of this moment. How Rinoa could do that, he would never understand, but at least it put him more at ease.

Still, he answered her question with a silent tilt of his head, and a small smile; one which Rinoa returned with a sort of stunned look in her eyes. Leon shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts as best as he could.

“Look, you’re scared of these powers, and that one day they might corrupt you. I _know_ that. I can’t take them away, though I wish I could. But Rinoa, even if the worlds turn against you, I-I’ll be _your_ Knight.”

The words hung in the air between them, and Leon became increasingly aware of his breathing as he waited for Rinoa’s answer. He knew, even now, after spilling his heart to her, that if her choice was still to be sealed away then he would stand by her, even if it broke his heart all over again to do so.

And then she kissed him, and all those worries seemed to melt away. She was crying, he could tell, but they were tears of happiness, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss between them.

Leon pulled her as close as he could, too.

When finally, they pulled away, Rinoa nodded.

"You remember that I told you about the flower fields in Radiant Garden?"

"The ones your mother and sister tended to," Rinoa answered, with a small smile and a nod of her head. "Of course I remember."

"I promise if-if we should ever get separated, and we can't find our way back here," Leon told her, "then you'll find me there, waiting for you."

Rinoa nodded again, and wordlessly wrapped her arms around him. Leon knew he could stay like this forever, and he wouldn't mind.

Merlin had warned that the road would be tough, and there were people who wouldn’t understand their bond. The townspeople might still want Rinoa sealed, but Leon had made his oaths.

They were the most important promises he'd ever made, and ones he hoped - and more so, vowed - to keep with his life.

**Author's Note:**

> -The title - and the whole idea of this part - were sort of inspired by the track 'The Oath' from the FFVIII OST, and the Sorceress Memorial/Promise scene in particular. Three things about this game that make me hella emotional so you can imagine how emotional I got writing this at some parts. Whew.
> 
> -Hojo and Odine as highly unethical scientists is a duo we really do not need. Like, in my mind, Ansem the Wise and his apprentices, experimenting on hearts and shit, would look at their stuff and be like 'get out of this shady underground basement'. And they didn't really have standards, so *shrug*
> 
> -Special shout-out to Vibranch and PinkCactuar8 for your comments on my last upload. This part had been in the works for a week or two, and I found that I could fully realise it with the inspiration from your words. So thank you very very much!


End file.
